Best Google Family Link Alternatives 2026: 6 Options Compared

Best Google Family Link Alternatives in 2026

Google Family Link is a free way to set screen-time limits, approve apps, and see what your child is doing on an Android device. It's a solid starting point, but it's Android-first (iPhone families run into real gaps), the controls stop at what's installed on the phone rather than the phone habit itself, and once a child pushes back on limits, an app that only says "no" runs out of road. Here are six alternatives worth comparing, starting with one that gives your child something to do instead of just less to look at.

Top Google Family Link Alternatives

1. Tovi — Best Overall Alternative

Tovi takes a different approach to screen time: instead of tracking what your child does on a device, it gives you one short, personalized off-screen activity to hand them each day — a sock-puppet story, a kitchen-cupboard sorting game, a backyard sound hunt. You answer a few questions about your child once, and every activity after that is matched to their age and stage, alongside coaching on routines and behavior and tracking of developmental milestones from birth through the teen years. Where Family Link limits what happens on the screen, Tovi fills the time the screen would have taken.

Pricing: Free tier available; premium plan for full features. Best for: Parents who want less screen time filled with something better, not just a stricter limit.

2. Qustodio — Best Cross-Platform Monitoring

Qustodio works across Android, iOS, Windows, and Mac from one dashboard, which covers the mixed-device households Family Link can't. It adds content filtering, location, and call/text monitoring on top of screen-time limits, at a real subscription cost.

Pricing: Free tier is limited; paid plans run roughly $55-100/year (check current pricing). Best for: Families with a mix of Android, iOS, and computers who want one dashboard for all of them.

3. Bark — Best for Content & Text Monitoring

Bark focuses less on screen-time limits and more on flagging concerning content in texts, social media, and email, with alerts sent to parents. It suits families more worried about what a child encounters than about total time on the device.

Pricing: Subscription; check current pricing. Best for: Parents most concerned with online safety and content, not time limits.

4. Apple Screen Time — Best Free Built-In Option for iPhones

Apple's own Screen Time sets app limits, downtime windows, and content restrictions natively on iOS, with no separate app or account needed. It's the closest free equivalent to Family Link for households that are already all-Apple.

Pricing: Free (built into iOS). Best for: iPhone-only families who want Family Link's basic controls without installing anything extra.

5. OurPact — Best for Scheduling & Allowances

OurPact schedules device access around a family's actual routine — school hours, homework time, bedtime — and can tie extra screen time to chores or an allowance. It's a more flexible scheduling model than Family Link's flatter daily limits.

Pricing: Free tier available; premium unlocks full scheduling features (check current pricing). Best for: Families who want screen time tied to a routine or to earned privileges.

6. Net Nanny — Best for Web Filtering

Net Nanny leans hardest into web and content filtering, blocking categories of sites in real time rather than just tracking app usage. It's a stronger pick than Family Link for parents whose main worry is what a child can browse to.

Pricing: Subscription; check current pricing. Best for: Parents most focused on blocking specific websites and content categories.

Quick Comparison

Option	Platforms	Focus	Cost
Tovi	Any (parent app)	Off-screen activities	Free / Premium
Qustodio	Android, iOS, desktop	Cross-platform monitoring	Free tier / paid
Bark	Android, iOS	Content & text alerts	Subscription
Apple Screen Time	iOS only	Built-in limits	Free
OurPact	Android, iOS	Scheduling & allowances	Free tier / paid
Net Nanny	Android, iOS, desktop	Web filtering	Subscription

The Bottom Line

Family Link is a reasonable free starting point for an Android-only household that mainly wants basic limits. If you need cross-platform coverage, Qustodio or Net Nanny go further; if content safety is the real worry, Bark is built for that specifically. But if what you actually want is less time on the screen rather than a better-managed version of it, Tovi replaces that time with a daily activity built for your child instead of another set of controls to configure. Try Tovi free.